The present invention relates, in general, to a process of controlling the input and output of data in a computing system and, more particularly, to a process of managing the form of input and output with the use of tiles consisting of one or more cells.
In the art, there are various types of input and output buffers. However, this is typically handled using two different buffers, one for inputs and one for outputs. A typical input is generated by some type of user interface such as a keyboard, mouse, track ball, or the like. The output is typically provided on a cathode ray tube (CRT), flat screen display, or like device generally classified as operator display modules (ODM)
The output function of a forms manager is to take the information to be displayed and arrange it in the order dictated by a form. In prior art forms managers, the form of the output is predetermined and stored somewhere in the system. The forms manager does not have the capability to modify the form dependent upon the user or information being displayed.
These types of prior art forms managers have the disadvantage of having to display an information field whether the field is used or not. By way of one specific example, in the area of medical records, there are numerous types of information that can be maintained for any one particular patient However, rarely does one patient require that all of the types of information be maintained. Therefore, it is a disadvantage for the forms manager to display blank spaces when that particular area is not being monitored. By displaying these blank areas, the size of the display is greatly increased making it impossible to display all of the information on one or two screens There may also be screen displays that have no data on them.
In addition, it is often necessary, for record keeping and security, to: limit access to particular portions of the display; keep track of who enters the data; and to insure that the data is entered correctly. Therefore, there is a requirement in the industry that the forms manager also interact with the input side of the systems.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a forms manager which overcomes the above deficiencies.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a forms manager that acts as an input and output buffer.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a forms manager which customizes the form to the information being displayed.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a forms manager which utilizes tiles, or windows, to display information.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a forms manager which may be used to provide data entry and access security to tiles
Another object of the present invention is to provide a forms manager which operates independently of the applications allowing the forms to be modified without requiring a change in the application.